


Get Rid of the Ghosts

by FleetSparrow



Series: Fifty Days of Pupship [23]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-03
Updated: 2018-05-03
Packaged: 2019-05-01 19:15:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14527323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FleetSparrow/pseuds/FleetSparrow
Summary: Jounouchi finds Kaiba sitting with his father's memory.





	Get Rid of the Ghosts

**Author's Note:**

> Day 23 of 50 Days of Pupship: An embrace

It was late in the Kaiba mansion. The alarm clock read 3:12. AM. Jounouchi rolled over to cuddle next to Kaiba, but all he found was empty bed. He sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Kaiba was probably back in his office working on something that totally couldn't wait until morning. Jounouchi sighed and got out of bed, heading towards Kaiba's home office.

The office was dark when he arrived, the computer off. Nobody was in the room. Jounouchi exited and continued down the hall. There was only one other place where Kaiba would be this late at night. The locked room down at the end of the hall. The one with the giant painting of Gozaburo Kaiba.

Steeling himself, Jounouchi headed down, ready to knock on the door until Kaiba came out. He never went in there. Mokuba had told him about it one night when Kaiba was missing in the house.

"He goes there on the anniversary of Gozaburo's death," Mokuba had said. "I think he likes to remember that he's gone."

Jounouchi came to the door. It was unlocked. Peering in, he saw the silhouette of Kaiba against the light of a candle, all but hidden in the darkness. Quietly, he entered the room and walked towards Kaiba.

Kaiba had a glass in his hand, and a decanter of liquor in front of him. There was a stick of incense burning beside the candle. Jounouchi wondered how long he had been in here.

"Kaiba."

"I was just telling him about you," Kaiba said. "Sit down." Jounouchi hesitated. "I said sit."

Jounouchi sat beside him. "What are you drinking?"

"I was telling him how I fell for a loser like you," Kaiba said, as if he didn't hear the question. "What does that reflect back on me?"

Jounouchi frowned. "You're drunk. You need to go to bed."

"We're having a conversation," Kaiba snapped. "He thinks you're unworthy. I'm better off alone."

"He can kiss my ass," Jounouchi said. "Come on, let's go back to bed."

Kaiba took another drink, then poured a new one. "It's too early. I haven't even thanked him for killing himself for me." He toasted the painting. "For ridding me of you before I had to do it myself." He drank.

Jounouchi picked up the container. Only half full. "Why do you do this to yourself?"

"I have to," Kaiba said. "You can't forget where you came from."

"I thought that's all you did."

"It's different. I'm a Kaiba. I can't forget him." He looked up at the painting. "Bastard."

Jounouchi wrapped his arms around Kaiba. "You don't have to do this to yourself. You made yourself. He doesn't have any claim to you anymore."

Kaiba leaned into his embrace and hiccuped. It was more like a sob, but Jounouchi ignored it. "You don't have to stay here."

"It's my house."

"Then get rid of him."

Kaiba sat up, looking at Jounouchi with shining eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Let's take it out and burn it," Jounouchi said. "Let's get rid of him for good."

Kaiba stared at him for a long moment, so long Jounouchi wondered if he'd even heard what he'd said. Kaiba stood suddenly, wavering on his legs just a moment.

"Let's burn it."

Between the two of them, they finally managed to get the painting down from the wall, struggling to get it out of the room and downstairs. The frame thumped against the floor and banisters, bouncing as they hauled it out to he back of the house. Kaiba still had the matchbox from lighting his candle earlier.

"What if it doesn't burn?" he asked suddenly, clutching Jounouchi's arm. "What if he won't burn?"

"It will. I promise."

Jounouchi held Kaiba's hand as he lit a match, guiding him to the painting. It two three matches before it caught alight, but when it did, it burned well, the oils of the painting lighting brilliantly.

"What's going on?" Mokuba asked, coming out of the house, still sleepy-eyed.

Kaiba reached out to him and pulled him close. "We're getting rid of him." With his other hand, he reached for Jounouchi, pulling him in for a hug. Jounouchi held him tight.

"He won't bother you any more."

Kaiba rested his head on Jounouchi's shoulder and watched the blaze destroy all that was left of Gozaburo.


End file.
